Sucker rods are commonly used in oilfield operations to power a downhole pump in a well, thereby pumping downhole fluids to the surface. The pumped fluids may be oil or other hydrocarbons, or may be water which is removed from the well so that gas production may be increased. Sucker rods of this type may be reciprocated to power the downhole pump or alternatively may be rotated. In either event, rod guides have conventionally been used on sucker rods to minimize wear on the tubing string by preventing the sucker rod from contacting the tubing string, thereby enhancing the useful life of the well.
Various types of rod guides have been devised, and various types of tools have been used for installing guides on sucker rods. Many rod guides are of the type which have a substantially unitary body with a C-shaped cross-sectional configuration, so that a slot in the guide is spread apart to laterally position the guide on the sucker rod. A sucker rod guide installation device for a single piece sucker rod guide is disclosed in U.S. 2006/0137885A1. Two piece rod guides of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,041 have been assembled on a sucker rod utilizing an operator powered lever tool. The time and difficulty associated with assembling a guide by this technique can be a significant deterrent to use of such a guide.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, and an improved method and apparatus for installing a two-piece guide on a sucker rod are hereinafter disclosed.